Society
Lebanese army builds pathways to life beyond uniform
Facing deep economic instability, the Lebanese Armed Forces are leveraging strategic academic partnerships to provide soldiers with vital vocational skills and paths toward successful civilian futures.
![Brigadier General Engineer Robert Mansour, representing the Lebanese Army Command [left], and Dr. Abdul Kader Mekdash, President of CIS Group, sign a partnership between CIS College and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) on March 18, 2025, at the Army Command headquarters in Yarzeh, Lebanon. [Lebanese Army]](/gc1/images/2026/11/13/52580-final-600_384.webp)
By Al-Fassel |
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) are actively expanding educational and vocational training opportunities for their personnel through strategic partnerships with civilian institutions.
A leading example of this effort is the March 18, 2025 agreement signed at Yarzeh between the Army Command and the Computer and Industrial Sciences Institute – CIS College.
Under the agreement CIS College and the LAF agreed to open up "broad educational opportunities to military members by offering scholarships across various educational levels, in addition to advanced specialised training in technical and vocational fields."
These programs acknowledge the harsh economic realities currently facing the Lebanese military, where personnel often struggle with extremely low monthly wages.
With soldiers' salaries ranging between $100 and $400, many service members are forced to seek additional work just to survive.
By providing professional development and vocational skills, the LAF addresses the urgent need for better retention and successful transition strategies.
CIS initiative recognizes that many service members may wish—or need—to transition to civilian life or broaden their skills while still in uniform.
These programs provide several benefits. They create pathways to higher education helping soldiers build credentials that can ease their transition or advance their military careers.
For example, Beirut Arab University has agreements with the LAF that allow academic collaboration and provide benefits to active-duty and retired troops.
CIS College's "Funded Programs" department now offers more than 200 courses, including maintenance, digital skills, and entrepreneurship, across over 25 branches in Lebanon.
Partnerships for skills and empowerment
Beyond its partnership with the LAF, CIS College collaborates with international organizations to align its programs with labor-market demands and youth empowerment goals.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are among the key partners supporting these initiatives.
In June 2024, CIS Group signed an agreement with IFC to strengthen its technical and vocational training operations in Lebanon and Iraq, improving youth employability and matching training with market needs.
Additionally, CIS College joined UNICEF and IFC to launch the "NammiSkills" digital-skills platform, which focuses on inclusive education and employment prospects for young people.
Such programs demonstrate a commitment to military development, fostering stability through education and practical empowerment in an increasingly difficult economic environment.
They also give back to those who serve by preparing them for successful futures beyond the uniform.
These partnerships mitigate severe economic pressures on soldiers, effectively bolstering retention and facilitating smoother civilian transitions while preserving essential military morale and professional capabilities.